• STORIES
    • LONGFORM
    • THE MOMENT
    • MY SHOT
    • SHORT FEATURES
  • PODCASTS
  • SHOP
    • ON ANY SUNDAY
    • APPAREL
    • ACCESSORIES
    • ARTWORK
    • BOOKS
  • SUPPORT
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
  • 0 Items
Logo
Logo
  • STORIES
    • LONGFORM
    • THE MOMENT
    • MY SHOT
    • SHORT FEATURES
  • PODCASTS
  • SHOP
    • ON ANY SUNDAY
    • APPAREL
    • ACCESSORIES
    • ARTWORK
    • BOOKS
  • SUPPORT
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
  • 0 Items
John Van Den Berk at the 1989 Unadilla 250 USGP

My Shot: Mike Sweeney 1989 USGP

April 17, 2018
-
MY SHOT
-
No comments

“You couldn’t take this photo today because they wouldn’t let anyone get that close to the track.”

— Mike Sweeney referencing his 1989 JVDB photo from Unadilla.

  • Date: July 9, 1989
  • Race: 250cc United States Grand Prix
  • Rider: John van den Berk, defending FIM 250cc World Motocross Champion
  • Venue: Unadilla Valley Sports Center New Berlin, NY
  • Photographer: Mike Sweeney
  • Equipment: Nikon F2 / 28mm lens. Shot on Ektachrome film

In 1989, Sweeney was a stringer for his local newspaper. He was a cunning 26-year-old who would trade photographs for press passes at Celtics and Red Sox games. The memories he has from the sidelines watching Larry Bird warm up are priceless. A fine arts photo major in college, he also rode moto as a kid growing up in New England. After attending the Southwick Motocross National a couple of times as a spectator, he showed up in 1989 with a homemade press pass, designed and laminated, “and they let me in!” he says, laughing.

He sent the chromes to Motocross Action and Dirt Bike and got an encouraging enough response to keep going to races. Six weeks after Southwick, Sweeney showed up at the 250cc USGP, which fell one week prior to the final round of the AMA 250cc motocross finale (Ed. note: can you imagine this today?).

Sweeney remembers showing up on a Thursday and seeing an already rowdy crowd in the field across the street from the racetrack. He saw a man in a sports car pull into the lot and get into an altercation with a partygoer. The man was torn from the vehicle and watched helplessly as his automobile was used to spin donuts in the grass before being driven into a nearby pond. “It wasn’t really a safe place,” Sweeney says. “There was so much drinking, water balloon battles and people shooting bottle rockets at each other.” That weekend, while camping across the valley from the rowdy parking lot, Sweeney said he woke up at 2:00 a.m. and watched for an hour at what looked like a scene from the movie “Apocalypse Now”.

Sweeney made his way to the pits where he saw Rick Johnson holding court and entertaining a crowd of people. It was Sweeney’s first trip to Unadilla and he was eager to see the infamous valley racecourse. He vividly recalls the bright field of green with knee high grass, lined with stakes and string. “I remember wondering where the hell the track was!”

The featured photo is from the second moto of the 250 class where John van den Berk, the two-time World Champion from the Netherlands, finished second to Rick Johnson. Jumping out of Unadilla’s Gravity Cavity, van den Berk’s red and white Yamaha YZ250 with head to toe red and white gear gives a popping contrast to the green valley in the background. If you’re puzzled about the number plate background color, it’s green. On the FIM series, 250cc riders had green backgrounds and white numbers.

To get the shot, Sweeney said he felt like he was doing a dance move, leaning into the track each time he snapped a photo. “I was maybe three to four feet from them.” Before sending the original chromes to MXA he used the equipment at a photo lab, where he worked part time, to make copies of his favorites, including this JVDB shot

A failed ignition left van den Berk with a DNF in the first moto at Unadilla and he finished seventh overall, losing a lot of points to Jean-Michel Bayle who won the world title a few weeks later. Van den Berk finished third overall in the 1989 standings. His career highlights include the two world titles (125cc, 1987) and nine GP victories.

Sweeney still shoots at select east coast races and some of his work is featured on his Instagram feed @sweeneyphoto. His newest venture is Ascend Design, a digital consulting, design and media company he started in metro Boston.

Mike Sweeney 2017

Mike Sweeney 2017

Mike Sweeney circa 1981

Mike Sweeney circa 1981

Guy Cooper @ Unadilla 1990

Guy Cooper @ Unadilla 1990

JMB / Dr. D @ Southwick 1992

JMB / Dr. D @ Southwick 1992

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Tags
1989
motocross
Unadilla
Email
← PREVIOUS POST
Ep. #1 Chad Reed: Against the Current
NEXT POST →
Chad Reed: Against The Current

Brett Smith

Former racer turned bookworm and story teller. Will work for tacos.

Let’s Talk About It

Your personal information will not be published
Cancel Reply

Please wait...
Submit Comment

Related News

Other posts that you should not miss.
James Stewart on LaRocco's Leap, 2002

James Stewart vs. LaRocco’s Leap: Modem Killer

November 23, 2020
-
MY SHOT, STORIES
They told him not to. But when 16-year-old rookie James Stewart committed to jumping LaRocco's Leap on his 125, Jeff Kardas knew where to point the camera. That instinct changed his life.
Read More →
10 MIN READ
Kenneth Olausson's photo of Gérard Lédormeur losing his steed in 1967

My Shot: Kenneth Olausson, Switzerland 1967

March 23, 2018
-
MY SHOT
The best part of the story might be that 19-year-old Kenneth Olausson had to wait more than two weeks to realize he’d taken the best photo of his…
Read More →
5 MIN READ
SUBSCRIBERS ARE WINNERS
Free stickers for those who join the FAST list!
Mike Sweeney's 1989 USGP photo from Unadilla
Cleantalk Pixel
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Privacy Policy.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
We Went Fast Stickers!

WANT FREE STICKERS?

Join the FAST list and get free stickers. That's it. No catch.

Check your inbox for a welcome e-mail from We Went Fast! Instruction for free stickers are in the first paragraph.